BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - It's not that common for Division I basketball teams to play lower-level opponents midway through the season, but Saturday's game against Newberry (S.C.) College was all part of the master plan, UAB head coach Jerod Haase said.

The Blazers (10-3) host Newberry (8-2), a Division II team, at 2 p.m. on Saturday. This counts on UAB's record, but it's an exhibition game for the Wolves of the South Atlantic Conference.

"We wanted to play a Division II team for a variety of reasons," Haase said. "Leading into conference play, we wanted to have a stretch of one game in basically a couple of weeks to focus on what we're trying to do."

UAB's Preston Purifoy is shown in action against Alabama A&M during the first half of a NCAA basketball game at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

UAB's last game was on Dec. 29, a 69-57 win over Alabama A&M. The Blazers play next on Jan. 11 at Middle Tennessee.

"We have some strengths that are very, very good and weaknesses that have to get addressed," Haase said.

"Defensively, I love the fact that we're holding teams to a good field goal percentage (39 percent). We're rebounding great. Defensively, I want us to be more active, getting steals and deflections while maintaining a good field goal percentage.

"Offensively, we have to become much, much more efficient. We have to become better passers and better shooters, whether it's the 3-point shot or around the rim. That's probably the biggest emphasis."

Haase said he felt like any number of lineups that UAB uses, including the starting lineup, can score efficiently. Forward Rod Rucker will return to the starting lineup on Saturday after not playing the entire first half against Alabama A&M for what Haase termed "punctuality reasons."

If UAB wants to play nine players, the three battling for minutes are guard Thaddeus Rideau and forwards Preston Purifoy and Tyler Madison. Purifoy, a senior, is playing just 6.5 minutes per game this season, scoring 1.4 ppg when he scored 7.7 per game last season.

"He's not hurt," Haase said of Purifoy. "He has a great attitude and he's working hard in practice, but we have a bunch of good players and everybody's competing for playing time. At the end of the day, his minutes may go back up. It's going to be based on who performs in practice and in games."

Newberry has a deep roster, but not much size. The Wolves will substitute five players in and out quite frequently. Dondray Walker, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound forward, scores 15.9 ppg while Demarkus Smith, a 6-foot, 180-pound guard, scores 14.8 ppg.

"They play really fast and trap and press," Haase said. "That's something we'll have to be prepared for, to be strong with the basketball and make the easy extra pass."